Last week the federal government advanced its proposal to reduce the amount of wetlands nationwide that require a federal permit before they can be filled or developed.
The practical effect here on New Jersey’s bayshore is minimal. New Jersey is one of only two states that took over the federal wetlands permitting program, so most of the wetlands in Cumberland County are permitted by the Department of Environmental Protection rather than by the federal government.
The beach redevelopment at Money Island is a different case. The Army Corps still handles those permits, and marsh that touches the Delaware Bay stays under federal protection. Bayshore property owners face the same permit path as before, while the ongoing dredging and beach fill project remains under the control of the federal government.
Here at Money Island we work within existing footprints and minimize disturbance, an approach that keeps our coastal land useful without expanding into areas that carry a heavy permitting requirement.